Leafminer flies, especially, Liriomyza huidobrensis, Liriomyza sativae and Liriomyza trifolii, are quarantine species in many countries. Their morphological similarity makes identification difficult. To develop a rapid, reliable, sensitive and simple molecular identification method using multiplex PCR, we newly sequenced the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) genes of Liriomyza bryoniae, Liriomyza chinensis, L. huidobrensis, L. sativae, L. trifolii, Chromatomyia horticola and four parasitoid species. We aligned them with all the COI sequences of the leafminer flies found in the international DNA nucleotide sequence databases (DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank). We then designed species-specific primers to allow us to differentiate between L. bryoniae, L. chinensis, L. huidobrensis, L. sativae, and L. trifolii.

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The pathogenicities of five isolates of Beauveria bassiana to Plutella xylostella were investigated. Treatment of 4th-instar larvae with each isolate resulted in 0%-100% mortalities at 5 days after inoculation. Detailed studies were made on the most virulent isolate, MG-Bb-1, obtained from P. xylostella, to determine its efficacy at different developmental stages of P. xylostella, doses, and humidities. MG-Bb-1 had high pathogenicity to lervae of all instars, but little pathogenicity to eggs, and almost no pathogenicity to pupae. Humidity influenced the virulence to 4th-instar larvae; MG-Bb-1 caused mortality of over 80% at 76% RH or higher levels, but only 30% mortality at 52% RH. A conidial suspension (107/ml) of MG-Bb-1 was sprayed on a cabbage field to control P. xylostella. A single application controlled P. xylostella as well as Flufenoxuron.

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